> Redhat's answer to jumpstart is called kickstart, it > generally works, > the problems is that if you want to install redhat > using kickstart you > need the either the redhat cds or some custom created > media to boot > from, even if it's only to make the kickstart file > available.
I know. I had a stint as a Linux system engineer during my career, after which I became an avid Linux hater, most likely for life. It was extremely hard to come to terms with the fact that Linux was a non-standards compliant and incompatible mess, especially when you've landed from years and years of IRIX, Solaris and HP-UX. > A few days ago i had to use it with a floppy, the > redhat media and the > actual packages in an nfs server in the network, i > had redhat > installed in under 6 minutes. Well, there's a classic. With the proper design of a JumpStart infrastructure, you don't ever need a floppy, or even a CD/DVD! The system boots off of the network using PXE boot, gets a STATIC IP address from a DHCP server (sounds like an oximoron, but the DHCP spec actually provisions for it), and installs and configures the OE automatically. And if you want to be really slick, you build a master system with all the functionality that you want or need, then make a compressed image of that system, and install the image on thousands of servers via JumpStart. Finally, you might even forego that in favor of servers that have no disks whatsoever, but boot off of the JumpStart infrastructure and have their root and swap mounted via NFS. Also all completely self-configuring and self provisioning, if you DESIGN it correctly. This is why Solaris is an undisputed ruler when it comes to provisioning. No other OE has taken it that far (although HP-UX's Ignite-UX comes pretty close, and IRIX's roboinst isn't for throwing out of the window, either). But Solaris is king when it comes to self configuring systems. This message posted from opensolaris.org _______________________________________________ opensolaris-discuss mailing list opensolaris-discuss@opensolaris.org
